Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, programs and apparatus for generating a library design for a combinatorial library of materials. A library design includes a set of sources representing components to be used in preparing the combinatorial library, destinations replying arrangements of cells and mappings, defining one or more distribution patterns for assigning components to cells in the destination arrangement or arrangements. Mappings include gradients and sets of user-defined equations, and are used to calculate the amount of on components to be assigned to a cell or cells in an arrangement. A library design can also include one or more process parameters defined to vary over time or across a plurality of destination cells. The invention outputs a data file defining the library design, including electronic data representing the sources, the destinations and the mapping, in a format suitable for implementing manually or using automated material handling apparatus.

Abstract: An object-oriented window manager provides coordination between window displays generated by separate application programs by computing and storing the visible area of each application window each time displayed windows are changed. Each application program directly communicates with the screen buffer memory in order to redraw portions of the screen corresponding to its display area using the visible area computed by the window manager. Each application program communicates with the object-oriented window manager by creating a window object which provides flexible display capabilities that are transparent to the application program. Several techniques are used to decrease the visible area computation time. First, as mentioned above a copy of the visible area is stored or “cached” in each window object. This copy can be used if the application program needs to redraw the window area and the visible area has not been changed.

Abstract: Scenes having arbitrary sizes can be collectively edited. Dynamic image data is managed by a tree structure in accordance with scenes. An array of scenes belonging to a higher order hierarchy than a reference hierarchy by one level is displayed in a scene display area, an array of scenes belonging to the reference hierarchy is displayed in a scene display area, and an array of scenes belonging to a given scene and having an order hierarchy lower by one level than the given scene which is designated by an operator and selected from scenes displayed in the reference hierarchy is displayed in a scene display area. An arbitrary scene displayed in the scene display area is designated, and processing (copy, move, divide, and synthesize) for the designated scene is designated. A tree structure portion of the designated scene is modified in accordance with the designated processing.

Abstract: An entertainment head-end provides broadcast programming, video-on-demand services, and HTML-based interactive programming through a distribution network to client terminals in subscribers' homes. A number of different features are provided, including novel user interfaces, enhanced video-on-demand controls, a variety of interactive services (personalized news, jukebox, games, celebrity chat), and techniques that combine to provide user experiences evocative of conventional television.

Abstract: A computer display layout manager that reduces the need to hand-craft the layout of application screens is able to rearrange elements according to the shape of the available area. The automated process helps interface designers create user interfaces which work well on multiple devices and in resizeable windows. The layout manager uses height for width and width for height trade-offs to resize elements. The elements of each row or column are packed and resized according to predetermined preferred sizing criteria.

Abstract: The field of invention relates to a method, means, and device for acquiring user input by a computer and, more particularly, a new and improved method of customizing a user interface to each specific task performed by a user such that the user interface customizes itself without the user having to modify multiple sets of preferences.

Abstract: A remote control for controlling a plurality of controllable devices includes a processor, a display screen coupled to the processor, and memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes a program module to solicit information from a user regarding operation of the plurality of controllable devices to perform an activity.

Abstract: The dynamically sized window automatically adjusts its right border if the text on the line exceeds beyond the window size, thereby eliminating a need for a manual adjustment of the window size and/or scrolling through the window. Moreover, the present invention enables a capability to increase only the selective parts of the window that displays a longer line. Similarly, adjustments to the window are enabled for those windows having graphical pictures whose size exceeds the window size. Windows overlapping other windows may be made transparent so that the underlying window is visible.

Abstract: A computer system and method of operation thereof are provided that allow interactive navigation and exploration of spatial enviroments, both real and virtual. The computer system employs a data architecture comprising a network of nodes connected by branches. Each node in the network represents an intersection in the real environment that allows a user of the computer system to select which path to follow. Likewise, each branch in the network represents a path connecting physcial intersections in the real environment. The network is constructed directly from a map of the target environment. Navigation data such as image frame sequences, intersections between paths, and other related information are associated with the elements of the network. This establishes a direct relationship between locations in the environment and the data which represent them.

Abstract: A system for organizing digital videos to archive and access them at different levels of abstraction uses data available from a closed-caption text along with off-the-shelf natural language processing tools to segment the video into self-contained story sections and speaker blocks. If the subject changes are marked, the system uses these points to divide the video into distinct stories which are represented as nodes attached to the root node in a tree structure and groups speaker segments belonging to a story under the story node as its children.

Abstract: A customer station and an agent station communicate with a call center server. In response to a customer server issuing a resource location to the server, an HTML page is returned containing a Java applet. The server is also connected to a plurality of agents, possibly at a service center. The customer station and its associated agent station receive substantially similar pages. In response to a modification being made at either station, the information is relayed to the server resulting in modified pages being displayed at both the customer station and the agent station. In this way, it is possible for an agent to assist a customer completing application forms. A voice channel may be provided in parallel with the on-line communication.

Abstract: A video signal transmission system transmits a video signal and data corresponding to the location and size of active areas for some of the frames of the video signal (but not other frames of the video signal). A video reception and display system determines the location and size for the active areas based on an interpolation technique. A viewer can click on the active areas to thereby link the receiving system to a web page or other information source.

Abstract: A computer system utilizing software to map content by determining a field of relevance and at least one topic in the field of relevance is presented. The system determines at least one content pertaining to the topic, retrieves a representation of the content and maps the representation of the content onto the field of relevance. Then, it provides an extremely flexible presentation mechanism where the content is organized by multi-dimensional mappings to present the information effectively. One of the features allows a vector to be assigned to each entity, queries a user or software agent for a particular focal element and displays the multiplicity of distinguishable entities based upon the assigned vectors utilizing the focal vector as a reference point to view the information. The system facilitates the organization of results of database interrogations, web searches and other large data situations, creating a multi-dimensional topic space of content.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for generating a transparent window on an application window designated by an operator. An annotation is drawn in the transparent window depending on the kind of message generated on the transparent window. The invention can be utilized in collaborating with another terminal located in a remote location. There are a scheme in which a window of an application to be collaborated and a transparent window corresponding thereto are started in the both systems and only the data such as an image drawn on the transparent window is transmitted to the collaborating system and another scheme in which an application to be collaborated is run only on one of the systems and an image merging the annotation data is transmitted to the other system.

Abstract: A storage server architecture supporting virtual devices and virtual circuits for storing data is provided. The storage server includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A first set of communication interfaces in the plurality is adapted for connection to all kinds of users of data. A second set of communication interfaces in the plurality is adapted for connection to respective devices in a pool of storage devices. Data processing resources in the server are coupled to the plurality of communication interfaces for transferring data among the interfaces. The data processing resources comprise a plurality of driver modules and configurable logic linking driver modules into data paths. Each configured data path acts as a virtual circuit that includes a set of driver modules selected from the plurality of driver modules. A data storage transaction which is received at a communication interface is mapped to one of the configured data paths.

Abstract: A computer user interface of this invention is a special interface for executing an application program, and includes a program selection button and a shell program for executing an application program corresponding to a press of the program shell button. A user can select and execute an application program registered in the shell program by means of the program selection button. In particular, the user can register an application program which can be selected by the program selection button in a program shell, thereby enabling a using environment to be fitted for the user. Since an audio player can be easily controlled by the program selection button, the user need not perform vexatious input steps for controlling the audio player using a keyboard device or a mouse.

Abstract: A computer system for a motion impaired user includes a housing, a processor in the housing, and a display connected to the processor for displaying at least one menu of selectable commands arranged in a sequence. A mouse is connected to the processor for positioning a pointer on the display responsive to movement of the mouse. The computer further includes a mouse template having at least one elongate body having a plurality of stations therealong corresponding to the sequence of selectable commands and cooperates with the mouse for assisting the motion impaired user so that when the mouse is positioned at a station, the pointer on the display is positioned at the corresponding selectable command of the menu.

Abstract: A computer system and method allows customization of a desktop of a user in a multiple user environment, such as a windows type operating system. Configuration files trigger a program to execute upon the invocation of the operating system by the user and install or delete elements. The program has a list associated with the program wherein if the list contains at least one element, the program checks whether the at least one element in the list has been executed on a desktop of a user; and if the elment has not been executed for the user, the program executes the at least one element. The at least one element may include custom desktop components. Configuration files may include a registry.

Abstract: A system, method and product are provided for resolution-independent image translation. Such system, method and product convey, through the use of a resolution-independent coordinate system, a description of location, shape, color, spline, and other distinguishing characteristics of images, including edited effects, rendered on a low-resolution image. The low-resolution images upon which the effects are imposed may be user-selected without converting high-resolution, non-digital, images into high-resolution, digital, images. Such resolution-independent information based on low-resolution images may be applied automatically, i.e., without human intervention, to reproduce the special effects on a corresponding high-resolution image. In a typical application, the user-selected, low-resolution, images upon which the effects are imposed are analog or digital video images. Also typically, the corresponding high-resolution images upon which the effects are automatically reproduced are film images.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing a plurality of windows associated with an application are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes displaying a plurality of windows, such as a first window processed by a first window handler and a second window processed by a second window handler. The method receives messages from an operating system, where the messages have message types. The method then passes the message to at least one of the windows, according to the message type.